Key Dates: From Abl To Wnba

April 19, 2003

Women's pro basketball in Connecticut:

June 1996: Hartford is awarded an American Basketball League franchise, the New England Blizzard, which split home games between Hartford and Springfield. UConn All-Americans Jen Rizzotti and Rebecca Lobo are territorial picks.

Aug. 30, 1996: Lobo turns down the Blizzard's two-year, $250,000 offer. Blizzard don't bother to change the last four digits of their phone number (888-512-5626, or 888-512-LOBO).

Oct. 18, 1996: The New England Blizzard play their first game.

May 5, 1997: Blizzard draft UConn's Kara Wolters and Carla Berube.

May 13, 1997: Former Celtics coach and Hall of Famer K.C. Jones becomes the Blizzard coach. Season ticket holders increase from 1,900 to more than 5,000 for the 1997-98 season.

June 21, 1997: WNBA begins play with Lobo in New York.

Jan. 10, 1998: The New England Blizzard draw an ABL-record 15,213 at the Civic Center on the way to a league-high 10,400 average attendance.

Dec. 22, 1998: The ABL folds because of bankruptcy. The Blizzard, who led the league in attendance for three years, are caught by surprise.

Jan. 14, 1999: Lt. Gov. Jodi Rell sends a letter to NBA commissioner David Stern, asking him to reconsider placing a WNBA team in Hartford.

Jan. 28, 2003: Rell, WNBA president Val Ackerman and Mohegan tribal officials announc that the WNBA's Orlando, Fla., franchise will move to the state and and be called the Connecticut Sun. Former UConn star Nykesha Sales will be coming home to play.

April 8, 2003: As the WNBA and players continue to wrestle over a new collective bargaining agreement, Stern intervenes, setting an April 18 deadline to strike a deal or the season will be canceled.

April 14, 2003: WNBA postpones draft.

April 18, 2003: The WNBA and players reach agreement in principle for a new five-year contract.